Latch.



No. 703,642. Patented July |902.

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LATCH.

(Appgcation led Sept. 14, 1901.)

(lo Model.)

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Y UNITED STATES.

PATENT Orrcn.

JOHN W. CZERMAK AND JOHN TISCHLER, OF PORT CHESTER, NEW YORK.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION formngpart of Letters Patent No. 703,642, dated July 1,1902. Application filed September 14,'1901. Serial No. 75,4126. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN W. CZERMAK yand JOHN TISOHLER, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Port Chester, in the county of Westchesterand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful.Improvements in Latch-Releasing Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to latches, and particularly to latches on theinside of doors at both top and bottom; and the object of our inventionis to provide an improved latch-releasing device which will possessadvantages in point of convenience, effectiveness, and generalefficiency. I

It is often desirable to have a latch both at the top and bottom'of adoor and to be enabled to release both of such latches by one movementfrom a'single point.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a door and part ofdoorway embodyv ing ourimproved latch-releasing device,showing the samein side elevation in operative position and in dotted lines in'inoperative position. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, the doorpartly `broken away.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same referencecharacters.

Our improved latch-releasing device comprises in general a sectionalshaft extending longitudinally of the door and connected operativelywith the spring-actuated bell-crank latches at the top and'bottom of thedoor, said shaft having telescopic ends and the sections of said shaftbeing pivotally mountedmidway their length and the end sections beingalso slidably carried by said pivotal mounting and a suitable meansprovided midway the length of said sectional shaftfor depressing thatpart thereof, and thereby depressing the ends of said shaft and causingsaid latches to be released from their keepers.

Our improved latch-releasing device is ap plicableto'any of the usualforms of latches, such kas pivoted catches, dac., releasable by beingdrawn away from engagement with a keeper used upon one leaf of a pair ofdoors to fasten it onthe inside, so thatsuchleaf may form the means ofsecuring the other leaf of said pair of doors as by a slidingspringcontrolled bolt having its end beveled on the top and bottom ofsaid leaf 6. One arm of l said bell-crank 1 has its outer end facebeveled, as at 7, forming a notch or shoulder 8, adapted tolautomatically engage suitable keepers 9, herein shown as plates havingone end turned up at right angles, forming a flange 10, said keepers 9being secured to the inner side of the lintel 11 and threshold 12 of thedoor-frame 13 in any suitable manner, herein shown as `.screws 14, saidange 10 adapted to be engaged by the shoulder 8 when said leaf 6 isclosed. Suitable tensional means are provided for normally holding saidbell-crank 1 in suitable position to cause saidv shoulder 8 toautomatically engage said ange 10 when the leaf 6 is closed. Aconvenient form of such tensional means is herein shown and comprises acoiled spring 15, interposed between the plate 3 and the arm of thebell-crank l, to which the operating means is attached.

In the form of our improved latch-releasing device shown in theaccompanying drawings, and which, if desired, may be the preferred formthereof, a shaft 16 is provided formed in sections 17, connectedpivotally, as at 24:,with each other and with one arm of the bell-cranks1 for movement in a plane at right angles to the plane of the leaf 6.The end sections 17 are preferably telescopic at the end secured to thebell-crank 1 and are slidably carriedby sleeves 18, which are suitablymounted for oscillation longitudinally of the leaf 6, herein shown asvplates v19, secured to the leaf, 6 in any suitable manner, as by screws20, and each provided with perforated ears 22, between which ispivotally mounted'an arm 23, depending from the sleeve 18. A sucientnumber of other `sections 17 of convenient length are provided to extendthe shaft 163 from each end to within a short distance of IOO the pointfrom which it is desired to operate .such shaft 16, herein shown asabout the middle longitudinally of the leaf 6, such other sections 17being suitably ymounted for oscillation longitudinally of the leaf 6,herein shown as exactly similar to that above described for sleeves 18,and hence which it is not necessary to again particularly describe. Theorganization of such other sections 17 is such that the movement of theends nearest the operative point of the sections 17 adjoining thecentral section 17 will cause a like movement of the ends of the shaft16, attached to the bell-cranks 1. The middle section 17 of the shaft 16is not supported except by its connections with the adjoining sections17, but is free to move in a plane at right angles to the plane of theleaf 6, so that by moving said middle section 17 nearer the leaf 6 theends of the shaft 16, attached to the arm of the bell-cranks 1, aredepressed and the shoulders 8 released from the flanges 10.

The operation and advantages of our invention will be readily understoodand appreciated. In the use of our improved latch-releasing device it isonly necessary to close the door to latch it., and to open the door asingle movement is required. Often the latch at the top of a door is outof the reach of even the tallest person, and artificial means either toelevate the person, as a chair, steps, or step-ladder, or to lengthenhis reach, as a pole or other suitable means, provided at its ends withsuitable grappling means, must be procured. So the latch at the bottomof the door generally requires one to stoop, which is awkward for allpersons and to some disagreeable, to others difficult, to othersdangerous, and to yet others impossible. Now

the middle part of the door is within the easy convenient reach of mostpersons, and if not and a point above or below the middle is moreconvenient by suitably organizing the sections of the shaft theoperative point can be brought to the desired position. improvedlatch-releasing device the latches fastening the door of a compartmentraised above the Iioor can be easily manipulated by a person standing onthe floor.

It will be evident that our invention and improvement are applicable toa variety of uses in their general scope and characteristics other thanthe specific use as a latch-re leasing device. It is furthermoremanifest that variation and modication in the detail features ofconstruction and in the arrangement of part-s may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of our invention and improvements.We therefore reserve the right to all such variation and modiiication asproperly come Within the scope of our invention and the terms of thefollowing claim.

.Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- An improved latch-releasing device, comprising, incombination, a door-frame, a door, keepers secured to the lintel and thethreshold of said frame, bell-cranks pivoted near the top and bottom ofthe door and provided with a shoulder adapted to automatically engagethe keepers, springs adapted to hold said bell-cranks in operativeposition, a shaft formed in sections connected to each other and toenearm of the bell-crank for movement in a plane at right angles to theplane of the door, the end sections being telescopic and slidablymounted in sleeves and means for operating the shaft from a singlepoint.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names in the presence of thesubscribing witnesses.

JOHN W. CZERMAK. JOHN TISCHLER.

Witnesses:

J. R. LITTELL, I-IARTWELL P. HEATH.

With our

